In the wake of arguments as to who is better between Nigerian teen forward Kelechi Iheanacho and England teen forward Marcus Rasford. The English Premier League official website has confirmed that the Nigerian has equalled records set by legends of the English Premier League.

Iheanacho scored in City’s 4-0 romped over Bournemouth last weekend in the English Premier League, to take his goal tally to 10 since making his debut in the league last season.

The Nigerian teen was 19 years, 11 months and 14 days old when he scored City’s second goal against Bournemouth last weekend.

According to the official website of the league. He is now in the league of young teen forwards to have reached double digits goals before turning 20.

Other players to have achieved similar fate includes Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka, Romelu Lukaku, Ryan Giggs, Jermaine Defoe, Raheem Sterling, Emile Heskey and Robbie Keane among others.

Super Eagles and Mainz O5 defender Leon Balogun has reacted to news about Nigerian forward Victor Emenayo falsifying his age 17 times lesser than his official age of 23.

Owngoalnigeria.com picked up the story from the Azerbaijani media about Emenayo falsifying his age days after making his debut for his new side Shahdagh Qusar FK.

The Nigerian is 23 on his passport but checks on the internet revealed the forward also has a birth date that makes him 28, and his looks according to pictures and the media suggest he is well above 40.

Leon Balogun reacting to the news via his twitter handle used a typical Nigerian language popularly referred to as pidgin English to question his age claims.

” Chei!!, you dey craze?!” He posted.

It literally means are you crazy? and it was posted just underneath the story and the picture of Victor Emenayo.

Former Super Eagles forward Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke is turning back the hands of time to the good old days, when he was a feared forward in Norway and Germany with his performances for Swedish side AIK Fotboll.

Ogbuke has been clubless since leaving Schalke 04 two seasons ago after five injury hit years at the club. A short trial at Sunderland didn’t work out and at the start of the transfer window he was in Norway before settling for AlK in Sweden.

Last night in AIK 3-0 away win over Djurgarden, the 30 years old struck the final goal with 14 minutes left to play in the tie, for his second goal in four games since joining the team a month ago.

The forward started his career with Chelsea star John Mikel Obi in Norway and was also reportedly on the radar of Chelsea before he moved to Hoffeinheim of Germany in 2007.

He has represented Nigeria at the Olympics, Africa Cup of Nations as well as at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but last played in a friendly game against Argentina in 2011 which Nigeria lost 3-1.

In that game he scored Nigeria’s only goal after Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria have given Argentina a 2-1 lead. The third goal for the Argentine was an own goal scored by Elderson Echiejile.

Kiryat Shmona of Israel who were on the verge of signing Enyimba’s top marksman Christian Obiazor before the forward failed medical tests, have snap up another Nigerian in Chigozie Glory Igo.

Kiryat Shmona signed the 18 year old on a one year deal with the options of a further three years base on appearances and success with the youth side of the club.

His signing is seen by the club as an investment as the 18 year old is widely regarded within the club youth set up as a sure addition to the main team next season.

At Kiryat Shmona youth team, he is expected to help them maintain their fine start to the season as they are presently in second position after two games into the new season.

Chigozie was scouted by David Ouziel, same agent who has been involved in lot of transfers involving talented Nigerian teens to Israel during a scouting tournament in Abuja.

The Porthacourt born forward was raised by one Joseph Zico, who took care of him for 10 years in same area where Super Eagles forward Aaron Samuel was scouted from.

After a slow start to life in the German second division Osayamen Osawe is finally off the mark for Kaiserslautern, netting in their 3-0 win over Dynamo Dresden.

Osawe had a very good pre season with the German side but fired blanks in his first five games in the league before finally getting on the score sheet yesterday.

23 year old Osawe joined Kaiserslautern on a three year deal from third division side Hallescher FC following his goal haul of 17 with 10 assists, a record that also includes 10 goals in 30 games.

The former Blackburn Rovers trainee who was also at a point in time at FC Southport as well, is eligible for Nigeria and England but he is yet to be capped at any level by the countries.

The profile of one time Nigeria Under-23 invitee Theophilus Solomon is soaring high in Croatia with his goal in Istra’s 4-1 win over Inter Zapresic voted among the best goals of the week in the league.

Solomon struck Istra’s 4th goal, which was his 4th of the season with a solo effort, using his quick feet and pace to leave his markers in their wake before side footing the ball into the net with the goalkepper going the other way.

His goal was however second in the votes for goal of the week. But watchers of the league have tipped him to be a contender for player of the season and the top scorer award if he stays in the league.

Nicknamed ” Nigerian Ronaldo” when he burst onto the scene in 2012 as a 16 year old in Nigeria, It has taken the former Juventus of Italy target four years to begin to deliver on the promises he showed that brought about the interest from the Serie A giants.

He has battled injuries in his previous season but after last season 13 goals haul for second division side NK Sibenik. This season at Istra where he is also on loan from Rijeka, he has grown into one of the most feared forwards in the league.

Dangote has ‘no doubt’ he’ll acquire English soccer team
Plan is to turn Arsenal around, not just ‘business as usual’

Dangote, a Nigerian worth $10.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, announced his intention to buy the club last year. He said he needs to wait for his business prospects to improve and his investments in gas pipelines and an oil refinery to play out before making the acquisition.
“There’s no doubt” he’ll buy Arsenal and “it’s not a problem” of money, Dangote said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in New York on Wednesday. “Maybe three to four years. The issue is that we have more challenging headwinds. I need to get those out the way first and start having tailwinds. Then I’ll focus on this.”
Dangote, an Arsenal fan, has lost $4.4 billion this year, the fourth most of anyone globally, due mainly to the depreciation of Nigeria’s currency, the billionaires index shows. The bulk of his wealth is tied up in Lagos-based Dangote Cement Plc, whose stock is down 4.7 percent this year. An acquisition of the team would make him the first African owner of a team in England’s Premier League.
“It’s not about buying Arsenal and just continuing with business as usual,” he said. “It’s about buying Arsenal and turning it around. I’ve run a very successful business and I think I can also run a very successful team. Right now, with what we’re facing, over $20 billion of projects, I cannot do both.”
While Arsenal has won 13 top flight league titles in England, making it one of the country’s most successful sides, it’s last was in 2004.
Arsenal Holdings Plc, the owner, trades on the ICAP Securities & Derivatives Exchange, or ISDX, and has a market capitalization of 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion).
Stan Kroenke, worth $7 billion and owner of the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets, holds 67 percent of Arsenal Holdings, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Most English Premier League matches are broadcast live in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, by Supersport, a satellite television channel owned by South Africa’s Naspers Ltd.

courtesy: Bloomberg

Gbolahan Salami fine run of form in Finnish side KuPS has been brought to an unexpected low following his sending off in their 1-2 loss to IIves in a top division game played on Wednesday night.

Salami who has 11 goals this season allowed his emotion to get the best of him when he picked up two bookings in the 28th and 66th minutes respectively, which triggered his sending off.

KuPS were further further reduced to nine men when goalkepper Johannes Kreidl was sent off in the last minute of time added on.

The loss saw them drop from 4th on the log to 6th, a position which puts their hope of participating in Europe club tournament in doubt.

Azubuike Egwuekwe, Aliyu Abubakar and Gbolahan Salami were all in action but Abubakar was replaced in the 49th minute, while Paul Onobi was an unused substitute all through the encounter.

Arsenal teen forward Chuba Akpom who played in the Gunners 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup says he hopes to follow in the footstep of his child hood friend Alex Iwobi by becoming a regular at Arsenal.

Iwobi had his breakthrough last season making over 21 appearances in all competitions. This season he has moved a notch higher as he is now a starter week in, week out, injuries permitting.

Such feat is what Akpom hopes to emulate but the 20 year old is a Nigeria international who switched to the West Africa nation after playing for England at youth level. Akpom who has played at different youth grades for England is hot on the priority list of Nigeria regarding a switch of allegiance to the Super Eagles.

He told the London Evening Standard: “What he has done is motivating. He is playing week in, week out for Arsenal so when I am watching him, I’m just thinking I am so proud of him and I just want to get the same chance as he got. As a friend, personally it is good to see him getting games.

“I think playing at Forest for Arsenal shows progression. Whereas a few seasons ago I was on loan and now I am coming back playing for Arsenal – it shows that’s the main thing, going out on loan and trying to come back to Arsenal a better player and more experienced. It is a really good feeling.

“I loved it – it was my first start for Arsenal and just to get an assist and to be involved in the team, that what I want to do – to play and get minutes.”

Ahead of Nigeria’s first World Cup qualifiers against Zambia on the 9th of October in Ndola, head coach of the Nigeria national team Gernot Rohr has named the two players he thinks will trouble Nigeria in the game.

Rohr while reacting to a question on potential call ups for the Zambia clash, the coach initially didn’t get the question right and answered by listing the dangermen he knows in the Zambian team.

The France based German coach listed Stopila Sunzu who plays for Lille in France and Rainford Kalaba of TP Mazembe of the DR Congo as two players, his boys should be wary off in the October 9 clash.

“I know of Rainford Kalaba who has been a consistent scorer for Zambia and also Stopila Sunzu who plays for Lille in France.

“But the key to all this is a solid defence line which we have started from the first game against Tanzania.”